Texas Child Support Basics, Part Two

Posted on Oct 16, 2017 6:00am PDT

In our prior blog post I discussed how
child support is calculated in Texas (based on net monthly income) and what counts as
income. In this blog we will continue our discussion by outlining how serving
time in prison can be construed to have been an intentional act of becoming
unemployed as well as what situations can qualify a person to be responsible
for paying beyond what the law in Texas requires them to owe in child support.

How being incarcerated can affect your child support obligation

If you are made to serve time in jail is it possible that the actions that
led to your incarceration could also lead a
family law court to rule that you intentionally became unemployed? It may surprise
you to learn that this is possible. There are multiple courts in Texas
that have refused to reduce a person’s child support obligation
when the owing party was sent to prison.

The rationale behind not reducing the child support amount was that the
act of the owing parent that caused him or her to end up in jail were
intentional and that the persons owned other property that could be used to
pay child support. These decisions were upheld by higher courts so it is reasonable to expect
that if you are in a situation where you served time in jail that a similar
decision could affect you.

Incarceration Does Not Automatically Stop Child Support

Some parents assume that
child support automatically stops when they are in jail or prison. However, that is
not the case. Something I tell parents who hire or consult with us is
that the Order is the Order until a Judge signs a new Order.

This means until an order a parent petitions to modify the existing child
support order, the parent will continue to be liable for the monthly amount
due to child support.

How to Stop Child Support if a parent is Incarcerated

One thing you can do is file an Incarcerated Noncustodial Parent Affidavit
of Income/Assets for a change in the court where the child support obligation
was established. This brings the incarnated parents situation to the attention
of the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

The Attorney General does not have the power to unilaterally modify a
child support order. This power still rests with the Judge who made your current order. By
filing this document the attorney general attorney general can file the
necessary paperwork with the court. The Judge can decide whether to modify
child support.

Filing a Modification to Stop Child Support on the Incarcerated Parent

A faster way to get things done is if the incarcerated individual, family
member, or friend hires a private attorney to file the necessary documents
with the court and to request a
modification of the child support. The other parent will also have the opportunity to present their own
case to the court.

How Deemed Income can affect your child support calculation

The concept of “deemed income” comes straight from the Texas Family Code. Here is the definition
in full from section 154.067:

“Deemed Income

(a) When appropriate, in order to determine the net resources available
for child support, the court may assign a reasonable amount of deemed
income attributable to assets that do not currently produce income. The
court shall also consider whether certain property that is not producing
income can be liquidated without an unreasonable financial sacrifice because
of cyclical or other market conditions. If there is no effective market
for the property, the carrying costs of such an investment, including
property taxes and note payments, shall be offset against the income attributed
to the property.

(b) The court may assign a reasonable amount of deemed income to income-producing
assets that a party has voluntarily transferred or on which earnings have
intentionally been reduced.”

Let’s unpack that definition a little further here. While many sources
of income for the
calculation of child support are straightforward, a few that we are about to discuss are not for most
people. That’s why I think it’s important to go over them
in case you find yourself in a position where this information is relevant.

Real Estate Partnership:

The key for our purposes is whether or not an asset that has not yet produced
income could be counted among those other sources of income that are currently
yielding dividends for a person who owes child support.

A recent decision from an appellate court in Houston has found that real
estate partnerships, even ones where income has not yet been derived,
can be counted as a source of income for the purposes of calculating child support.

Employee Benefits

This is an example that I can speak to based on experience. If you have
a job where “perks” such as use of a company car, paid for
car insurance, or expense accounts are at your disposal then be prepared
for these benefits to be used as a way for your spouse to potentially
have your income inflated for the purposes of child support calculations.

Even though these benefits are more or less a few items that are not paid
to you in cash, they will likely be considered to be income when a child
support determination is being worked.

Employment expenses

A court in Texas has taken expenses paid by a person for gas, maintenance
of machines, transportation, travel expenses, and other costs associated
with running his
business as being income for child support calculation purposes. You can remove
these items from your income but it is possible for a judge to add them
back into your total income.

How are courts justified in awarding child support amounts over and above
the guideline figures?

Despite the presumption that an award of child support in line with the
Texas Family Code guideline amounts is in the best interest of your children, if there is
evidence that justifies an award over and above the guidelines level of
support a court may decide to order such a level of support.

If your spouse is able to convince a judge that awarding a standard amount
of child support is not in the
best interests of your child then the court can go in a different direction and award
support above the statutory percentages. After the best interests of the
child are considered a court will take a look at whether or not you earn
more than $8,550 which is the most amount of monthly income that a court
is able to consider when setting a child support obligation.

If you earn less than $8,550 it is unlikely that a court would order you
to pay more than the statutory amount of child support based on your specific
net monthly income and your specific number of children. If your income
is more than $8,550 per month then it is more likely that you will be
made to pay higher than guidelines child support if such an award is justified
based on the proven needs of your child.

Child Support Questions? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan

If you have questions about your particular situation as it pertains to
child support or family law in general please do not hesitate to
contact the
Law Office of Bryan Fagan. We offer free of charge consultations six days a week where your questions
can be answered by a licensed family law attorney. Our office represents
clients across southeast Texas and we would be honored to do the same
for you and your family.

Law Office of Bryan Fagan | Tomball, Texas Child Support Lawyers

The Law Office of Bryan Fagan routinely handles matters that affect children
and families. If you have questions regarding
child support, it's important to speak with one of our
Tomball, TX Child Support Lawyers right away to protect your rights.

Disclaimer

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